Over the years, several techniques have been developed to
combat codling moth. Chemical control remains the most
economical for the backyard orchardist because the chemicals
prescribed continue to evolve, but no single technique,
including chemical control, is sufficient. These techniques are
usually practiced in some combination.

The techniques of greater interest are described here. Codling
moth is vulnerable to different control techniques at each
lifestage, so the descriptions, below, follow the order of
lifestages. Because lifestages repeat at least twice during the
growing season, it may be necessary to apply the same technique
more than once.

Chemical control is covered generally in this section and is
dealt with in greater detail in its own section, below. Here
the general terms ovicide and larvacide are used to describe
compounds that are applied as sprays. Ovicides are applied
earlier because their principal mode of action is to slow or
stop the development of the eggs. Larvacides are applied later
because they act to kill the larvae before they can damage the
fruit. Although codling moth development is more or less
synchronized, not all moths will be at the same stage on the
same day. For this reason the expectation is that all sprays
will be reapplied at least once (except in situations where only
very light control is required) to catch not only the earlier
developing moths but the later developing moths, as well. The
interval before reapplication is covered in the "Chemical
Control" section, below, and varies according to the kind of
spray used.

The Trichogramma wasp inserts its eggs into codling moth eggs,
and its larvae consume the moth eggs before they can hatch.
Several species exist in the natural world and may provide
background control of codling moth. Culturing and releasing
Trichogramma wasps is used as biological control of codling moth
in commercial settings where infestation is light, but efficacy
varies, treatment is expensive, and the technique is considered
unsuitable for the backyard orchardist (Brunner).

Granulovirus is also used for biological control of codling
moth in commercial settings. It is a virus that infects codling
moth larvae. It, too, exists naturally and provides some
background control. It is cultured and applied as a spray in
commercial settings. It must be applied over the eggs. Then
the larvae consume it along with their eggshells after they
hatch (Wise et al.). Larvae are not killed outright and
may live long enough to cause damage, so this technique is
applicable only where infestation is light. Because the virus
degrades in sunlight, it must be reapplied frequently while eggs
are hatching. As with other means of biological control,
efficacy varies, treatment is expensive, and the technique is
considered unsuitable for the backyard orchardist
(UCANR,
"Management Guidelines").

Various ovicidal sprays are commercially available and
accessible to the backyard orchardist. These are divided into
those that are more efficacious when applied under the eggs
(that is, before the eggs are laid) and those that are more
effective over the eggs (that is, applied after the eggs are
laid). Some are listed in the "Chemical Control" section,
below.

Footies are disposable nylon half-socks that clothing stores
give to patrons before trying on shoes. These may be slipped
over fruitlets just after the fruit has set to prevent
infestation by apple maggots. In fact, they are marketed to
backyard orchardists as Maggot Barriers. These are also
moderately effective against codling moth. They discourage the
larvae from attacking the fruit, but the effort required to bag
each fruitlet is extreme, and, although Maggot Barriers are not
individually expensive, bagging all the fruit in a backyard
orchard can required hundreds. Rather than bag his whole
orchard, the backyard gardener may wish to bag only select fruit
on certain trees and then rely on other means to reduce
infestation of the rest.

Larvae do not spend a lot of time outside the fruit between
hatching and burrowing in, but, while they are still outside,
they may be attacked with various larvicidal sprays, which are
commercially available and accessible to the backyard
orchardist. Some are listed in the "Chemical Control" section,
below.

Once the larvae are inside, there are no effective treatments
other than removal of each infested fruit by hand. This
technique is worthwhile to backyard orchardist, though, who will
notice the frass on the outside that the worm produces from
within. By removing and destroying infested fruit as soon as it
is discovered, he will destroy the larvae before they leave the
fruit and thus cut down the codling moth population in his
yard.

The orchardist naturally desires a massive crop; nevertheless,
he must wrestle his greed into submission while thinning the
crop to improve fruit size and to bring the crop load within the
bearing capacity of every branch of each tree. Destroying
infested fruit is similar to thinning the crop. Both strategies
aim to maximize not only the value of the crop but also the
long-term productivity of the orchard instead of churning out
biomass. Both arouse the same anxiety, and both must be done,
anyway, regardless of cognative dissonance.

In this context, destroying the fruit means treating it in such
a way that the larvae in it do not reproduce. Composting fruit
is insufficient because larvae can survive unless the compost
"cooks" at a high temperature through and through. Backyard
orchardists should, if they wish, eat any infested fruit that is
ripe enough because processing it dooms the worm within, but
this does not mean that infested fruit may be left on the tree
from the time it is noticed until it is ripe. Such a delay
would allow the worm time to escape. Instead, the infested
fruit -- ripe or unripe -- should be removed from the tree, and
fruit not destined to be consumed should, where permitted, be
hauled off the premises and immediately incinerated or
landfilled as is the case with municpal garbage.

Infested fruit may be fed to livestock. Free ranging poultry
consume several insect pests of apples although they are more
effective against those that spend time on the ground such as
plum curculios do. Presumably, chickens will catch the
occasional codling moth larvae as the worms escape from fallen
fruit.

The backyard orchardist will need to protect those portions of
his crop destined for sale from contamination by livestock
manure and feedlot dust.

Often, infested fruit that remains on the tree, unnoticed, will
drop of its own accord. Mulching within the drip line of the
tree makes this "summer drop" easy to spot. All fruit that
drops prematurely, whether or not obviously infested with
codling moth, should be regularly picked up and destroyed to
reduce the possibility that codling moth or any other pest
species may escape from it.

It is possible by banding tree trunks and limbs to lure a few
mature codling moth larvae to spin cocoons in corrugated
cardboard at least two or three inches wide. Use duct tape to
secure the cardboard bands with the edges open and the passages
parallel to limbs and trunks. These bands may be removed and
destroyed before the second flight begins. They may then be
replaced with fresh cardboard, which is to be destroyed at the
end of the season (Cranshaw).

This works only when tree bark does not provide adequate cocoon
locations. Also, if the cardboard bands are not destroyed at
the right time, they can actually wind up benefiting the codling
moth population. For these reasons, banding trees is not
recommended to backyard orchardists.

The presence of adults may be detected by capturing males in
pheromone traps. Ongoing mating activity may then be inferred.
Because development of the first flight is synchronized to
within a few days, the capture of adult males can be used to
synchronize the treatments described, above, too.

In commercial-scale operations the same pheromone may be used
in much more concentrated amounts to disrupt the mating behavior
of most males, but this is effective only for isolated orchards
or for orchards extending over several acres, which are not
easily accessible to bred females from outside. It is
definitely not as effective for the backyard orchardist.

Kaolin clay, which is marketed as Surround, may be applied as a
spray, creating a particle film on leaves and fruit, which is an
irritant that repels females and slows down larvae. Complete
coverage is essential. Precipitation will dissipate it and
necessitate reapplication.

A few adult codling moths can be drowned in homemade vinegar
traps. These are constructed from one-quart plastic milk jugs
with holes cut through two opposite sides. It takes quite a few
-- at least two per tree -- and the vinegar solution must be
replaced every week or two, so this is a labor-intensive
technique for the backyard orchardist. Here is the recipe for
the vinegar solution, which is enough for two dozen trees
(Garden
Detective):